Folding bedstead



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. F. H. WALKER.

FOLDING BBDSTEAD. No. 316,086. e Patented Apr. 21, 1885.

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FOLDING BEDSTEAD.- No. 316,0E6- lPatented Apr. 21, 1885.

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FOLDING- BEDSTEAD..

Patented Apr. 21, 1885.

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=No. 316,086. Patented Apr. 21, 1885.

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Nrrnn STATES FRANCIS H. WALKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING BEDSTEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,086, dated April217 1885.

n Appncatnn inea December 8,1833. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANors H. WALKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and Improved Folding Bedstead, of which the following isa speciication.

The object of my invention is the production of a folding bedstead whichshall economize room, be simple, ornamental in shape, and of convenientand reliable construction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is.

a perspective view of my improved folding bedstead, the same beingrepresented as when folded up and not in use. Fig. 2 is a section of thesame in the line :o x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bedsteadwhen fully unfolded. Fig. 4 is a section in the line y g/ of Fig. 3before section C has been turned down, as in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a det-ailview, showing positions assumed by the supporting-legs of the front sideof the bedstead during the act of manipulating the bedstead from itsclosed position shown in Fig. 1 to its fully-opened position shown inFig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the supporting-legs ofthe front side of the bedstead. Fig. 7 is a side view of the bedsteadfully unfolded for use.

In the drawings, A indicates the base-support of the bedstead, the samebeing open in rear, as clearly indicated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, andhaving a bottom portion, a, inclosed, as shown, except in rear, by afront wall, as a', and sidewalls, as a2. To this base-support, as at cc, is hinged a central section, B, of the bedstead, the same consistingof a front wall, b, a side wall,l bl', connectedto b by hinges c', andan opposite permanent side wall, b2. A permanent cap portion, b3, isfixedly connected with the front wall, b, and sidewalls, b b2, as shown,while to the cap portion b3 is connected a swinging cap portion, b4, byhinges, as at c2, and thus, when the bedstead is folded, as in Fig. 1,the parts b3 b4 can be utilized for the purpose of a mantel, which, ifthe same be covered with room ornaments, so as to conceal the hinges c2,the two portions b3 and b4 will appear to be solid, and at the same forman appropriate place of deposit for the ornaments. I would here statethat this central section, B, is made of a height sufficient to form thedesired width of the bedstead when in size nearly corresponds with thesize of sec-.

tion B, and united to section B by hinges c3 ci,

as shown in Fig. 3, whereby it may be folded v down upon the section Bwhen it is desirable to close the bedstead from its working positionindicated in Fig. 3 to its closed position indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.In Fig. 3 the bedstead is represented as having been placed, forexample, against one of the walls, X, ofa room or apartment in which itis to be used, and that the section B has been turned down and out fromthe foundation-section A, as shown in the gure. In thiscondition thebedstead thus far has been opened at right angles with the wall X, andwith the section C still folded in contact with the section B,asindicated in Fig. 4. The section C is now swung upon its hinges c3 c3 offfromsecti'on B intoits fully-extended position, as shown in Fig. 3,thereby forming the full effective length of the bedstead in a directionparallel with the wall X of the room', thus leavingbetween the bedsteadand the wall a space, y, for ventilation and accessibility to the @backside77 of the bed,whileat the same time the bedstead itself islongitudinally parallel with the wall X of the apartment, and out of theway of the main available space of the apartment, which is not` thecasein that class of folding bedsteads whose whole length is at rightangles with the wall when open for use.

By reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 4 it will be seen that my foldingbedstead is provided with front supporting-legs, D D, havinglever-acting shanks, as c l, at right angles to the legs proper, andthat the shanks d pass through proper openings d', formed in the wall b,and are retained in position by pins e, which pass through the shanksand into contiguous parts of the section B. A Thus when the section B ofthe bedstead is thrown from its position seen in Fig. 2 to its positionin Figs. 3 and 4 the legs D will articulate upon the pins'e.l Toaccomplish this articulation I attach standards F F in any proper mannerto the base-section A, as shown, and at the top of each standardpivotally apply a pitman or connecting bar, G, by a pin, f, at one endof the bar, while its opposite end is pivotally attached to the ICOshank d, as at f. Thus, the bars G beingat one end pivotally attached toposts orstandards F, iixedly secured to the foundation section A, and attheir opposite ends pivotally attached, as at f ,to the shanks d, whichshanks move upon pins e as an axis of articulation, it will be seen thatwhen the section B is drawn forward from its position as shown in Figs.1 and 2 to its position as in Figs. 3 and4 the legs D will beautomatically thrown from their positions shown in Figs. l and 2 totheir positions shown in Fig. 4, and that during this act thelegs D willalways maintain such vertical position as will enable them to act asfront supporting-legs when the bedstead is unfolded, and as ornamentalparts or brackets resting against the front wall, b, when the bedsteadis closed up, as represented in Fig. 1.

Heretofore in this class of furniture cumbersome, ungainly,and expensivedevices consisting in part either of toggle-joints or ratchets or cogshave been employed to move the supporting-legs; but allsuch appliances Idispense with simply by the use of the bar G, connected directly to theleg D and a post or standard fixed to the supporting-section A.

rlhe exposed front surfaces of the legs D,as shown in the figures, Ipropose to ornament with carved work, and thus when the bedstead isclosed up said legs will appear as brackets under the cap b3,and greatlycontribute to the artistic appearance of the bedstead, while from itsgeneral outward appearance it would be regarded by the casual observereither as a mantel-piece or bureau, or other chamber or ornamentalfurniture of like character.

By constructing the bedstead in three sections, as A B C, the height ofthe same, as a whole, when closed up, as in Fig. 1, will accord withthat average standard height desirable for a mantel or bureaufurniture,while its general form and compactness,when closed,

will assist in concealing the fact of its being a` folding bedstead, andalthough it maybe left entirely open at the back for purposes ofventilation while closed up, as in Fig. 1, that fact will remainunexposed to the observer, the bedstead being set against the mop-boardof the apartment. When the section B is thrown into-the horizontalposition shown in Fig. 4, the. hinged part b4 is folded down, as shownin said figure, thus leaving the top of the side rails, g g, of saidsection as the upper level Vof the bedstead-frame, and so when thevframesection C is unfolded from the section B, as shown in Figs. 3 and7, its rails g g practically beconie an extension of the rails g g ofthe section B, and thus the two. sections together form a properlongitudinal bed-frame extending parallel to the lwallX of the apartmentwhen the bed-frame is completely unfolded for use. It will be seen byreference to Fig. 1 that the wall b is hinged at c cto the front wall,b, of the bedstead,and thatitproperly serves as aside wall for thebedstead when :in a closed condition. In operating the bedstead, if thesection B is drawn down into its position shown in Fig. 4, the sectionC, connected therewith by hinges c c,will rest upon it, as will bemanifest by inspecting section B in Fig. 2, and then supposing it to bedrawn down into the position shown in Fig 4, after which the section Gis lifted off from B and swung over into its position shown in Figs. 3

and 7, lthus completing the full length of the bedstead. When in aclosed state, the hinged wall b covers in the section C, and thus thesection C cannot be unfolded, as in Fig. 3. without turning down thewall b,as'indicated in Fig. 3, and this it does by pressing against thehinged wall b in the act of unfolding. cross-bar, h, connects the sidebars, g g', of the section C, and a chain, h, is attached to thecross-bar h, and also to the hinged wall b, so that when the section Gisfolded up the hinged wall b will be drawn back into position as aprotecting end wall of the bedstead. Swinging legs mmare applied to thesection C, as indicated in'Fig.3,and automatically swing down and form asupport for this section. These legs,when the section C is in the act ofbeing folded up, automatically fold up and rest upon pins mm, projectingfrom the side rails, g g', as shown. At 1" 1" (see Fig. 3) an innerportion of the thickness of the wall b is cut away, so as to allow theside rails, g g', to assume a horizontal position, as indicated in thefigure, when section C is unfolded.

It will be understood that in order to make the folding bedstead assumealongitudinal relation in respect to the wall X of a room against themop-board s of which the bedstead i is placed when in use, a hinged endwall, as b', must be provided, as shown in Fig. 1, which will turn downout of the way of the section C when the section is being unfolded, andwhich also will serve, in connection with other parts, to inclose thesections B and G when the bedstead is folded up, as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 shows the bedstead fully unfolded, the section C being shown indotted lines as occupying a position upon the section B, as signified inFig. 4, before said section C is unfolded, as signified in solid linesin Fig. 7. unfolded it will be seen that the side wall b2, opposite tothe hinged side wall b', assumes the position and subserves the' purposeof a head-board to the bedstead.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. Ihe combination of section B, compris-` ing walls b b b2 and sideportions, g,with low base A and section C, the portions being connectedby hinges, as at c c c", substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The ycombination of the low base A, section B,'comprising walls b bb2 and side portions, g, a cap covering portion attached to sec f tionB, and the section C, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the low base A, section B, comprising walls b b b2and side por-` Thus fully i IIO tions, g, eap-pieee bwith piece b4hinged to it,` 5. The combination, with the 10W base A,

and section C, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination,with the base A and section B, having the projectingcover, of the bracket-like supporting-legs D, having Shanks which areextended through the perforations d in the front Wall of section B, andpiyoted at e, standard F, attached to the base A, and connesting-bar G,pivoted to the said standards and legs D, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

of the section B, comprising Walls b b b2 and portions g, hingedthereto, section C, hinged to r 5 section B, and chain h,connecting thehinged Wall b and section C, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

FRANCIS Ii. WALKER.

Witnesses: i

EDWIN R. WALKER, HENRY P. STOTT.

